strategic plan 2018–2021 - about.uq.edu.au · the university of queensland • strategic plan...

STRATEGICPLAN

2018–2021

April 2018 update

2 THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND • Strategic Plan 2018-2021

OUR VISIONKnowledge leadership

for a better world

3THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND • Strategic Plan 2018-2021

OUR MISSIONThe University of Queensland positively influences society by engaging in the pursuit of excellence through the creation, preservation, transfer and application of knowledge. UQ helps shape the future by bringing together and developing leaders in their fields to inspire the next generation and to advance ideas that benefit the world. UQ strives for the personal and professional success of its students, staff and alumni.

OUR VALUESPursuit of excellenceWe strive for excellence, seeking to apply the highest standards to benefit our communities.

Creativity and independent thinkingWe welcome new ideas from our staff and students as well as from our alumni and our external partners. We support intellectual freedom, courage and creativity. We encourage the pursuit of innovation and opportunities.

Honesty and accountabilityWe act with integrity and professionalism and uphold the highest ethical standards. We are committed to transparency and accountability. Our decisions ensure responsible stewardship of the University’s resources, reputation and values. We lead by example in all areas including our approaches to sustainability.

Mutual respect and diversityWe promote diversity in the University community — through our people, ideas and cultures. We create a vibrant, inclusive environment in which ideas flourish and future generations, regardless of background, are empowered. We respect our colleagues and work together for shared success.

Supporting our peopleUQ ensures the safety and wellbeing of our people. We create an inclusive and supportive university community in which achievements are celebrated and rewarded. Our people have the opportunity to enrich their lives and pursue their goal.

Making positive changeThe period from 2018–2021 has the potential to be the most challenging and exciting four years in UQ’s history. The world is changing at a breakneck pace, and it is vital that we prepare our students to not only adapt to this change, but also to succeed within it. Evidence-based knowledge, the ability to work collaboratively to solve complex problems, and a passion for innovation will be essential attributes for our students, regardless of the exact future shape of society. Through excellent teaching, support, and exposure to world-leading research, we will ensure our graduates are capable of making a positive impact on society and collectively building a beneficial global legacy. This is why the goal of transforming students into game-changing graduates features in UQ’s Strategic Plan 2018–2021.

This goal is integrated with a second key objective – to deliver globally significant solutions. We will continue to strive for greater impact in our research endeavours, responding to external expectations to solve current and future global challenges. We cannot do this on our own, however. While UQ’s research performance is exceedingly strong across a range of disciplines, we must add value through stronger external partnerships and networks that interweave ideas, expertise and resources from across the world.

It is therefore not surprising that external engagement is a focus of the strategy. As a Queensland-born institution, we are proud to serve Queenslanders’ aspirations in areas including employment and economic prosperity, social cohesion and environmental sustainability. By integrating this with a global focus, we attract to the state international investment, talent and recognition.

This plan upholds UQ’s core values and adheres to both our mission and the vision of knowledge leadership for a better world. It maintains the principles of UQ’s Strategic Plan 2014–2017, but has some important changes in emphases. Compared to the previous plan, it has a sharper focus on graduate employability in its broadest sense (reflecting the Student Strategy 2016–2020, released in July 2016); collaboration (both within UQ and externally); and diversity and inclusivity (among students, staff, partners and communities).

What will UQ look like in 2021? Although not radical, the plan is ambitious. I will touch on some aspirations that have emerged from consultation, and that this plan seeks to cover:

– UQ will remain highly comprehensive, and will continue to achieve excellence across our broad range of fields and disciplines.

– Our teachers will continue to lead, and will take increasing advantage of innovative, flexible teaching methods and an academic calendar that maximises student engagement and opportunities.

– We will build diversity and inclusivity within our community. Philanthropy will both boost our capacity for innovation and support our goal of increasing the diversity of our student community. We will aim for modest growth in total enrolments, with strong growth in diversity.

– Our staff and students will continue to feel valued, encouraged and supported in their efforts to achieve excellence.

– A greater proportion of our work will involve collaborations, which will leverage both complementary strengths within UQ and the expertise and facilities of our partners (which will include community, business, government and philanthropic groups).

– We will have tighter relationships with industry, government agencies and not-for-profits. These relationships will deliver new opportunities to students and staff, and help ensure our work remains highly relevant to – and valued by – society.

– We will develop and implement a University-wide Reconciliation Action Plan, with guidance from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, staff and communities.

– Our operating environment will be streamlined and adaptable, with a focus on ease of use, efficiency and maximisation of resources directly supporting our core functions.

– Our students, staff and alumni will benefit from UQ’s strong global reputation in areas including graduate quality, research, teaching and international (including industry) partnerships.

– Our concerted efforts will ensure UQ continues to be a leading Australian university well inside the top 75 in key rankings, even as their methodologies evolve to reflect society’s changing expectations of universities.

This Strategic Plan is not a detailed prescription, but is designed to improve understanding of UQ’s overarching goals and the strategies for achieving them. It is meant to help anyone working within or with UQ to discern what motivates our community, and why we see it as simultaneously a privilege and an immense responsibility to do what we do.

A WORD FROM THEVICE-CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT


“This plan has been many months in the making, and has benefited from hundreds of people contributing to a consultation process. I thank everyone who was part of this. You have lent a broad One UQ vision to the plan. This will help us to succeed – and to share success with countless others – during and well after a period which is likely to be momentous.”

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Becoming agile and flexibleDelivering on the vision of ‘knowledge leadership for a better world’ is an ambitious goal in any context, but in an environment of funding uncertainty, rapid change and digital disruption, the challenge becomes amplified. Disruptive technologies are the new norm, introducing new competitors within higher education and broadening access to information on a global scale. These changes are fundamentally impacting the way universities teach, the way they conduct research, and the way new knowledge is shared with the world.

Traditional sources of funding are also in decline, forcing universities to look beyond government for financial support. Opportunities exist to build research funding from industry or international sources and the Australian higher education system continues to attract large numbers of international students. This provides important additional revenue for the sector, but it is also necessary to mitigate against the risks of becoming too dependent on foreign markets.

The University of Queensland’s Strategic Plan 2018–2021 has been developed with these issues and risks firmly in mind. To meet this uncertainty, it is vital that UQ establishes an agile and flexible foundation – uniting a diverse community to anticipate change and

confidently adapt to whatever challenges this brings. The University must enable high impact outcomes that not only provide true knowledge leadership, but inspire others to partner with us to pursue this endeavour.

Long-term objectivesUQ’s vision has been translated into these three long term objectives, which are explained in detail in the following pages.

1. Transforming students into game-changing graduates who make outstanding contributions and address complex issues with a global perspective.

2. Delivering globally significant solutions to challenges by generating new knowledge and partnered innovation.

3. Developing a diverse community of knowledge seekers and leaders who embody a One UQ culture and use collaborative partnerships to connect and co-create.

Strategic focus areasWhile these long-term objectives are aspirational, to achieve them, UQ must make some fundamental adjustments to our operations. It is these changes, articulated through the six strategic focus areas listed below, that form the body of this Strategic Plan.

1. Transforming our student experience through a flexible, integrated and partnered learning environment.

2. Enhancing our high quality research by improving our capacity to collaborate to achieve greater impact.

3. Building engaged and strategic partnerships with a broad range of local and global networks.

4. Committing to activities that attract, support and retain a diverse and inclusive community of high achieving staff and students.

5. Building an agile, responsive and efficient university operation.

6. Diversifying our income streams and managing our resources to establish a sustainable financial base.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYKNOWLEDGE LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD

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One UQ cultureTo pursue this agenda, a One UQ culture will be embraced through an emphasis on collaboration and a coordinated investment in infrastructure. This means enhancing and supporting the capabilities of UQ people, capitalising on the benefits of UQ’s diversity while bringing together an extensive range of strengths to drive innovation and success. It requires collaboration across globally recognised teaching and research areas, together with industry, government and the community, to ensure that the University’s endeavours are appropriately targeted and have meaningful impact. This plan commits to identifying and removing internal barriers to collaboration, which will enable us to open more effective external pathways and build critical international connections.

In an environment characterised by significant local and global challenges, being able to harness and connect world-class research across a diverse range of fields provides UQ with great opportunities. The discipline that is peripheral today may provide the next game-changing innovation tomorrow, so a cross-disciplinary approach that brings together different perspectives is critical to achieving globally significant solutions to complex problems. UQ is a world-leader in many fields; that strength must be leveraged more fully in the coming years.

Being a leading global university across an extensive range of disciplines has inherent challenges. While UQ is committed to remaining highly comprehensive, continual review of our discipline mix is necessary. The University must consider the strategic value of each discipline internally as well as the benefit it provides externally to academia and society.

This Strategic Plan acknowledges the need for a more sustainable financial base to support our endeavours and highlights a further strengthening of our commitment to streamline operations and improve the efficiency and use of resources. There exists an imperative to diversify the income base, but also to simplify operations and reduce costs, as government funding is no longer adequate.

While a sustainable base is necessary, innovation is the key to success. The tertiary education sector is particularly susceptible to increasing competition and digital disruption, so UQ will actively support innovation in teaching. We are determined to expand the use of our infrastructure and will explore opportunities to make the academic calendar more flexible. This will allow staff and students to partner in trialling new pedagogies, digital resources and other solutions to enhance all aspects of the student experience. UQ will also enhance opportunities for students to engage in personal development opportunities such as internships, overseas study and specially created cross-disciplinary courses. Further, the University will have the capacity to offer shorter, modular courses to meet the needs of a diverse student body, and to incorporate more industry-focused learning in the curriculum through close partnerships that ensure we understand, and are able to meet, industry needs. This exciting initiative will have impact on UQ’s entire operation, and will distinguish us in the Australian higher education environment.

UQ embraces its obligation to provide an internationally recognised education for Queenslanders and Australians, welcomes growth in demand from international students, and seeks to build and consolidate our industry partnerships. By working with all members of our community, the strategic directions outlined here will propel The University of Queensland toward our vision of delivering knowledge leadership for a better world.


Transform students into game-changing graduates who make outstanding contributions and address complex issues with a global perspectiveThis objective goes beyond ensuring that we develop graduates who can easily gain employment. UQ’s students are motivated and highly capable. This goal directs us to ensure we develop an educational experience that maximises our students’ personal and academic development. We will support them to become enterprising, independent thinkers with the leadership, creativity and problem-solving skills that empower them to create positive change within industry, academia, the workplace and society more generally.

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES

Deliver globally significant solutions to challenges by generating new knowledge and partnered innovationThere will be a continued expectation that research will be undertaken at the highest academic standard with the highest ethical principles and UQ remains committed to both fundamental and translational research. However, there will be a particular focus on working with others – both internally through collaborations that cut across disciplinary and organisational boundaries, and externally through partnerships and networks. UQ will become a hub that brings the best expertise together to creatively solve complex problems through research and innovation. This ethos will be reflected in our approach to teaching.

Develop a diverse community of knowledge seekers and leaders who embody a One UQ culture and use collaborative partnerships to connect and co-createDiversity within UQ’s community ensures that different perspectives and experiences are brought together to find solutions to global challenges and provide an enriched learning experience. Through a One UQ culture we can create an environment that is inclusive and collaborative to ensure that we work together in pursuit of our strategic objectives. Universities must reflect wider society – working within and for our broader community. Through collaborative external partnerships we can create the connections and networks necessary to understand the needs of industry, government and the community and work with others to meet those needs. This applies to both our teaching and research endeavours.

The University-wide strategy will be firmly focused on our long-term objectives to:

Ayarrku MuruuAll One Country in Kalkatunga

Artist: Sid Domic

Kalkatunga man and Outreach and Engagement Team Leader, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of Queensland

“UQ is located at the centre of the image on a bend in the river. Like a stone thrown into the water, the ripples from the University spread outward through the six faculties, to reach the young people who have come to learn. Behind them sit the community of elders who support and enrich their young people by contributing culture and experience, and the ripples of impact continue out beyond the University, providing leadership for future generations.

“The image captures the sense of belonging that people from diverse backgrounds can have here at UQ, based on my own experience.

“Even though I’ve had a great career in football, inspiring young people to achieve their dreams is one of the most satisfying roles I’ve ever held.”

Sid Domic


Our vision of ‘knowledge leadership for a better world’ is ambitious. It requires sustained focus and a commitment to our long-term objectives. To pursue this vision, we have developed six strategic focus areas. These are designed to articulate where we will prioritise our efforts over the next four years, ensuring that we create the conditions necessary for success.

MEDIUM-TERM STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS

– An improvement in graduate employment outcomes.

– An increase in global engagement among our students.

– A student satisfaction rating that is within the Top 5 nationally.

– An increase in normalised citations.

– Rank in the top 65 global universities across all influential rankings.

– Rank first in Australia for attracting research income from industry.

– Rank in the top 3 universities in Australia on national competitive grants income.

– An increase in the proportion of our publications that are co-authored with external international or industry partners.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

– Improved internal collaboration.

– An increase in student engagement with external partners.

– An improvement in our global reputation.

– Growth in philanthropic income to $500m.

– An increase in the percentage of our students that come from low socioeconomic or regional/backgrounds.

– An increase in the representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students within UQ.

– An improvement in source country diversity among our international students.

– Achievement of an institutional award in the Athena SWAN charter.

– Sustainable financial performance in line with our strategic ambitions.

– Improved engagement and commitment among staff to the University’s purpose.

To track our progress toward these ambitious goals, strategic key performance indicators will be developed and approved by the UQ Senate. These will be reviewed annually to ensure they reflect both our long-term objectives, and the changing environment we operate in.



Knowledge leadership for a

better world.

Create change.

1

Transforming our student experience through a flexible, integrated

and partnered learning environment

2

Enhancing our high quality research by improving our capacity to collaborate to

achieve greater impact

3

Building engaged and strategic partnerships with a broad range of local and

global networks

4

Committing to activities that attract, support and retain

a diverse and inclusive community of high achieving

staff and students

5

Building an agile, responsive and efficient

University operation

6

Diversifying our income streams and managing

our resources to establish a sustainable financial base

MEDIUM-TERM STRATEGIC FOCUS

AREAS

Transform students into game-changing

graduates who make outstanding contributions and

address complex issues with a global perspective

Develop a diverse community of knowledge seekers and leaders who

embody a One UQ culture and use collaborative

partnerships to connect and co-create

Deliver globally significant solutions to

challenges by generating new knowledge and

partnered innovation

LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES

OUR VISION

– providing additional support for entrepreneurship and startups.

• Configure our pedagogies, assessment and learning spaces to encourage active and collaborative learning. This will include:– extending systematic, UQ-wide course renewal

to promote student engagement– revising assessment profiles across courses

and programs to ensure assessment tasks are relevant, manageable and fair

– ongoing investment in the conversion of spaces for active learning.

• Expand online and digitised delivery to provide students with flexibility to engage with learning in a way that suits their personal needs. This will include:– developing professional and technical skills

within UQ’s workforce to build online and digital delivery

– increasing investment in digitisation and active learning

– re-organising our curriculum into a more modular system and exploring ways of credentialing modular delivery

– requiring greater consistency in, and engagement with the capabilities of, learning management systems.

• Strengthen partnerships between students, researchers, industry and alumni to create a more collaborative approach to teaching and learning. This will include:– developing innovation hubs which bring

industry partners on campus to engage with the UQ community

– developing students as partners and creating more work-integrated learning and research partnership opportunities for our students

– building on our current suite of significant partnerships, such as Boeing and Baosteel, to extend industry collaboration and engagement.

Transforming our student experience through a flexible, integrated and partnered learning environment

STRATEGIC FOCUS AREAS

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The success of our students is central to our mission and the quality of their educational experience is a priority. Student satisfaction with UQ’s quality of teaching is relatively high, but expectations among students, government and the broader community are changing as technology advances, competition increases and the workforce and economy undergo significant structural reform. Over the coming years, the University will invest in ensuring the UQ educational experience continues to adapt to these changing expectations while transforming our students into game-changing graduates. A UQ degree must provide students with the skills, knowledge and attributes to successfully navigate a rapidly changing world. Our graduates will be enterprising, independent thinkers with the leadership, creativity and problem-solving skills to create positive change within industry, academia, the workplace and society more generally.

Implementing UQ’s Student Strategy 2016–2020 will continue to be a key priority. Our learning environment will support an innovative educational experience with digital delivery augmenting the on-campus experience. We will focus on increasing flexibility for students, developing their employability, and strengthening partnerships between students, teachers, researchers and industry.

We will also direct attention towards our curriculum and program design to ensure that it is meeting the current and future needs of our students. Adjustments to the structure of our academic calendar will support innovative teaching and provide student-centred opportunities.

To transform our student experience through a flexible, integrated and partnered learning environment, we will:

• Expand opportunities for students to develop their employability. This will include:– increasing the availability of work integrated

learning– increasing opportunities for students

to participate in personal development experiences (e.g. global experiences, volunteering, internships, employability courses and research experiences)

• Develop our campuses to create a more vibrant learning environment that integrates on-campus learning, community engagement and student life. This will include:– building a new student residence complex– building a new student hub incorporating new

formal and informal teaching and learning spaces, with a redevelopment of the student union complex at St Lucia

– expanding volunteering initiatives and social engagement projects that serve the community such as the UQ Pro Bono Centre

– encouraging access to our campuses and providing enrichment to the wider community through cultural, social, sporting and learning activities and events

– providing accessible infrastructure to create an integrated entrepreneurial environment.

• Adjust our approach to the development of educational offerings so that there is a greater focus on the whole program. This will enable us to review and enhance our program architecture to ensure that it:– supports the objectives of the Student

Strategy – in particular maximising graduate employability, enterprise, flexibility and partnership development

– maximises the benefits that students can gain from our comprehensive range of discipline and research strengths;

– builds internal collaboration and cross-disciplinary perspectives

– provides enhanced opportunities for digital and flexible delivery.

• Explore opportunities to make our academic calendar more flexible. In doing this, we will: – create opportunities for students to increase

their participation in learning experiences that enhance their employability and industry connections

– develop innovative pedagogies that give our students more opportunity to partner with leading researchers and develop translational networks

– provide more opportunity for student enrichment via increased access to international experiences;

– increase opportunities for student flexibility through multiple entry points and variable program progression to accommodate the work, family and personal needs of our diverse student community

– improve campus utilisation, through better use of the calendar year, to provide higher quality learning experiences through effective management of teaching spaces.

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We also recognise that our research infrastructure is a core enabler of our research activity. Creating a more coordinated and One UQ approach to the acquisition, maintenance and use of research infrastructure will be a priority.

To enhance our high quality research by improving our capacity to collaborate and achieve greater impact, we will:

• Build a One UQ approach to acquiring, maintaining and utilising research infrastructure. This will include:– creating a centralised approach to the funding

and management of key research infrastructure to improve its planning and maintenance

– prioritising strategic funds for new research infrastructure that is collaborative and provides the most open access possible to optimise University-wide research outputs

– leading a collaborative approach to infrastructure scheme bidding and developing partnerships with major equipment suppliers

– investing in high-performance computing and data storage.

• Actively encourage internal collaboration between researchers from different disciplines and organisational units. This will include:– incorporating measures of high quality internal

collaboration as a core criteria in academic appraisal and promotion processes

– requiring that all higher degree by research students have an adviser, preferably from a different discipline, who can provide guidance on how to broaden the impact of the student’s research

– prioritising strategic funds to support high quality research that utilises an internally collaborative approach

– ensuring that all organisational unit reviews include a focus on internal collaboration

– designing our physical and digital academic environments to facilitate interactions and collaboration.

Enhancing our high quality research by improving our capacity to collaborate to achieve greater impact


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UQ’s research excellence is something the whole UQ community can be truly proud of. Ranked 55 among over 10,000 universities globally on the 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities and first in Asia on the Asia 100 ranking, UQ performs strongly across an extensive range of disciplines. Over the coming years we must build upon this success by ensuring our research is collaborative and achieves greater impact. Ambitions such as enabling healthy ageing, ensuring food security, supporting a resilient environment, developing technology for tomorrow, and positively transforming societies demand a breadth of involvement and knowledge beyond the confines of any single discipline. We must therefore be outwardly focused – responsive to external expectations so that we can deliver on our goal to produce globally significant solutions to the challenges ahead.

To achieve this, we will implement strategies to increase internal collaboration so that we are better placed to build stronger external partnerships and networks. In an era of rapid change, expanding technological development and geopolitical uncertainty, complex global challenges will require creative solutions that draw on the expertise of multiple disciplines. UQ’s excellent research performance across a comprehensive range of disciplines ensures that we are well positioned to respond to these challenges, but we must find ways to effectively leverage these strengths.

We will therefore focus on building stronger connections between our disciplines and organisational units to support effective cross-disciplinary approaches to research. We will also build our capacity to respond in an agile and coherent way when external requests are made of us to tackle problems. We must make it easy for industry, government and the community to access our research and expertise. This applies both locally and globally. It also includes ensuring that there are stronger connections between our higher degree by research (HDR) students and industry. Facilitating this collaboration will benefit both our researchers and industry partners.

• Actively pursue strategic and high quality international collaborations in research and education. This will include:– making more effective use of the Special Studies

Program (SSP) to encourage international engagement of the highest quality

– providing stronger support for international partnering

– partnering to build multinational educational programs.

• Actively encourage researchers to partner with industry, government and the community both within Australia and internationally. This will include:– making more effective use of the Special Studies

Program (SSP) to encourage engagement with industry, government and the wider community

– ensuring that measures of successful external engagement are core criteria in academic recruitment, appraisal and promotion processes. This will include placing a greater importance on the ability to attract research income from industry and international bodies as well as publications with an international co-author.

• Develop a more consistent approach to HDR training with a focus on ensuring students build research, transferable and professional skills. This will include:– expanding opportunities for students to obtain

a non-academic supervisor or adviser– ensuring that key transferable skills are developed

throughout the research training program and monitored through the use of assessment activities such as oral exams, the opportunity to access appropriate coursework training, and participation in personal development programs

– providing opportunities for HDR students to participate in industry placements and partnering activities to develop necessary professional skills

– enhancing the communication skills and integrity of the PhD evaluation through compulsory oral examinations.

• Invest in the development of systems and processes for the storage and publication of research data, including the capability for this to benefit future researchers.

• Develop flexible models to effectively utilise the institution’s intellectual property.

BioClay – which could help secure global food security by controlling plant pests and diseases – was developed thanks to collaboration between scientists from two UQ institutes and an industry partner, and support from a state government grant.

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In recent years, UQ has developed an enviable network of partners both within Australia and globally. The recreation of a dedicated External Engagement portfolio in 2016 reflects our commitment to working within and for the broader community. We have also recently created positions within both the External Engagement and Research portfolios to foster partnerships and improve the coordination and management of our research infrastructure. Our research income from industry has grown considerably since 2010, as has our international research funding. This growing capacity to attract interest and investment in our research capability is also reflected in figures from the National Survey of Research Commercialisation, which show that UQ leads the nation in overall performance of earnings through industry consultancy, collaboration and contracts. The co-location of Boeing Research and Technology Australia’s Brisbane-based team at a new centre at UQ’s St Lucia campus further demonstrates confidence in the quality of UQ’s research community and highlights the opportunity for similar campus-based industry collaborations. Clearly, the benefits of these partnerships extend beyond just research; they enrich the experience of our entire learning community, and create a more porous campus.

Engagement and collaboration with the community, industry, government and other research innovators are a critical success factor in our capacity to meet the rapidly changing needs of society. They help us stay abreast of local and global challenges, understand external priorities and expectations, and ensure our teaching and research remain relevant.

The role of UniQuest, as UQ’s commercialisation company, is critical to ensuring our research has impact beyond the academic community, and our commitment to translating our intellectual property into solutions with global impact is core to our focus on strategic partnerships.

The University has also committed to diversifying our sources of income to support our research endeavour. Our continued commitment to this is demonstrated by our aspiration to be number one in Australia for attracting industry income.

To further build engaged and strategic partnerships the University will focus on developing a more coordinated approach to external engagement. We must engage with stakeholders in a streamlined and holistic way,

ensuring that our depth of expertise is accessible. The development of a partnership framework and investment in a customer relationship management system will be key enablers to this. Forming deeper international connections will also be necessary to ensure that UQ’s impact is far reaching and that our students obtain a globally relevant education. To support this, investing in building a stronger global presence will form a core part UQ’s external engagement strategy.

To build engaged and strategic partnerships with a broad range of local and global networks, we will:

• Build a centralised resource to support, develop and manage significant partnerships guided by a clear partnership framework. This will include:– streamlining contract negotiation processes– creating additional key industry partnerships,

some of whom may in the future have an on-campus presence.

• Strengthen and grow international research collaborations to ensure we leverage the breadth of our research to make significant contributions to global research activity. This will include:– investing in developing a stronger presence in

Canada, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Japan and Latin America.

• Develop a University-wide and consistent approach to external and internal messaging and representation. This will include:– utilising a single creative agency to supply

advertising services across the whole university– strengthening internal communications.

• Improve the management of future-student enquiries and communications with key partners, alumni and the broader community. This will include:– significant investment in a University-wide

Client Relationship Management (CRM) System to systematically track interactions with external stakeholders.

Building engaged and strategic partnerships with a broad range of local and global networks


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In 2017, UQ’s partnership with Boeing strengthened as the Boeing Research & Technology – Australia Brisbane Technology Centre opened on campus at UQ St Lucia. The Centre is a hub for Boeing and UQ researchers to collaborate and work with UQ students in a state-of-the-art space.

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UQ owes its growing global reputation and successes to the strengths and achievements of all of its staff and students. Our ability to attract high-achieving academics, professional staff and students from across the world is one of our core strengths and continues to be a key area of focus. We will therefore continue to improve the way we reward and recognise high performance and provide greater support for early-career and middle-career academics.

However, it is imperative that we also attract and support staff and students from a broad mix of backgrounds. Diversity is essential for a resilient community where our academic endeavours are enriched by a wide variety of perspectives and experiences. Generating an institutional environment that is inclusive and celebrates diversity is vital to enabling all UQ people, staff and students to realise their potential.

In recent years, UQ has improved in this area. The number of women in senior professional and academic

positions has been steadily increasing, while the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students graduating from UQ each year has doubled.

We acknowledge that there is much more to do and in the coming years will pursue a range of strategies to ensure that both high achievement and inclusivity are encouraged and recognised. We will address the barriers facing women in academia, particularly in areas of under-representation, through a commitment to the SAGE Pilot of Athena SWAN, and we will also support the building of respectful relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader community through the Reconciliation Action Plan. We will continue our efforts to address barriers to higher education among students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and from rural and regional Australia.

Committing to activities that attract, support and retain a diverse and inclusive community of high achieving staff and students


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To commit to activities that attract, support and retain a diverse and inclusive community of high achieving staff and students, we will:

• Develop and implement a Reconciliation Action Plan that ensures UQ builds respectful relationships and opportunities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community.

• Significantly improve the gender and cultural balance within the workforce at all levels, within all disciplines and organisational areas. This will include:– actively participating in the national SAGE Pilot

of Athena SWAN program and implementing key recommendations from that process

– ensuring a diversity and inclusion lens is applied to key University policies and processes

– introducing a gender pay equity framework supported by tools for pay negotiations

– developing the University’s arrangements for flexible employment.

• Invest in the capacity of our research workforce by prioritising the development of our high performing early-career and middle-career academics. This will include:– providing opportunities for mentorship and

collaboration external to academia– better acknowledging the contributions made

by early career researchers– ensuring ‘relative to opportunity’ principles are

consistently used in performance appraisals and promotions.

• Improve the mechanisms for assessing, developing, recognising, rewarding and improving high performance among academic and professional staff, with a focus on performance in areas of strategic importance. This will include:– developing an online system to provide

academics with performance data that enable them to assess their performance in different domains and structure their focus accordingly

– redesigning the professional staff performance review and development process with a renewed focus on ongoing performance-based discussions supported by a Professional Services Capability Framework

– providing the opportunity for greater access to professional and personal development

– providing more flexibility in reward mechanisms for high performing staff

– developing high performing staff by encouraging conference attendance, opportunities to audit UQ courses, and enhancing investment in facilities and resources.

• Significantly increase the representation of students from under-represented backgrounds, including those from rural, regional and interstate locations as well as those facing socioeconomic disadvantage. This will include:– building an endowment fund for scholarships

to support those from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background and those from regional and remote backgrounds.

• Attract and develop a high achieving cohort of students through enriched learning and personal development experiences. This will include:– redeveloping UQ’s scholarship strategy to align

with the strategic goals and ambitions of the University, including the objective of being a truly national university and attracting a greater number of students from interstate.

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The University’s professional services provide a vital enabling factor in our capacity to pursue academic endeavours. Spanning the full breadth of the University’s operation, these functions include student recruitment, enrolment and support, academic administration, external engagement, research administration, IT and physical infrastructure, library services, financial management, human resources, legal services, policy and strategy development and governance.

We are committed to ensuring that our operations and professional services are responsive to the needs of the University. They must be built upon a culture that takes a One UQ approach to providing high-quality, responsive service with a focus on outcomes. The strategies to ensure our operations are agile, responsive and efficient will focus on building workforce capability and improving our systems and processes. This will be done in a way that ensures resources are managed so that priority can be given to supporting the academic purpose.

The University has already commenced a series of significant organisational and business process changes within the Human Resources, Finance and Information Technology functions to streamline operations as well as improve both the consistency and quality of service.

In the coming years, the University will continue to build upon this work, driving service improvements as well as creating efficiencies wherever possible, including through the use of technology. There will be a particular focus on improving the student administration and service functions, and thereby the overall student experience. The streamlining and automation of business processes will also form a key part of the strategy, ensuring that our investment in information technology is aligned with the University’s strategic goals. Additionally, to support improvements in professional services, we will also consider the composition and capability of the workforce. The aim will be to build a set of professional, advisory and technical skills that enrich the University’s current academic and strategic agendas, and ensure UQ is well placed to respond with agility to a changing environment.

To build an agile, responsive and efficient University operation, we will:

• Proactively build the capacity and capability of our workforce to achieve our strategic goals. This will include:– strengthening analytical, advisory and digital

capacity within the professional workforce– enhancing technical and other professional

support for research infrastructure– increasing support for collaborations and

partnerships by creating roles for connectors and facilitators

– strengthening capacity in curriculum, pedagogical and assessment renewal.

• Enhance IT governance to ensure that UQ’s information technology aligns with the University’s strategy and priorities, appropriately considers risk and provides maximum value.

• Simplify, streamline, standardise and automate administrative process and workflows across the University. This will include:– improving oversight and alignment between

planning and budgeting– where feasible, streamlining and automating

business processes within the HR, Finance and Student Administration functions

– implementing a new research management system to enhance functionality and improve the integration of different functions across the research lifecycle (including ethics, funding, data management and publication).

• Review our delivery model for student services and administration to maximise effectiveness and efficiency and enhance the student experience.

Building an agile, responsive and efficient University operation


5


In an environment in which government funding is declining in relative terms and competition is increasing, UQ needs to achieve a more sustainable financial base to pursue our strategic agenda. Diversification of income will be a critical element of this process, as will the efficient management of resources.

A large component of UQ’s revenue is drawn from tuition fees and student funding. UQ’s globally recognised reputation and broad range of offerings ensures that there is strong demand from within the international student market for a UQ degree. In the coming years, we will continue to tap into this demand, opening up more places for international students across all disciplines. In doing so, there will be an emphasis on ensuring that these students are drawn from a diverse range of countries and enrol in a wide range of programs. Diversification is essential in minimising the risks inherent in attracting students from countries that are rapidly developing and strengthening their own educational institutions. Strategic initiatives and investments will also be made to increase support for international students and ensure UQ can adjust to a changing demographic mix.

The University will also continue its commitment to increasing non-government research funding from industry and international sources, as well as income from philanthropy. Developing a culture of philanthropy among our alumni and the broader community will benefit not just UQ’s capacity to educate and innovate, but will also place our graduates at the centre of an international network of opportunity. The University’s strategies to build engaged and strategic partnerships will support this through a philanthropic campaign framed around three themes: empowering student success, transforming teaching and learning, and driving discovery and impact. It is the goal of this campaign to raise $500m to support our initiatives and aspirations in these arenas.

Creating a more sustainable financial base is not just about increasing revenue. The University will also improve its management of costs. Our strategies to build an agile, responsive and efficient University operation will also support financial stability.

To diversify our income streams and manage our resources to establish a sustainable and independent financial base, we will:

• Increase our international student revenue. This will include:– diversifying the mix of source countries through a

focus on partnerships, engagement and recruitment in emerging markets such as India and Indonesia

– diversifying enrolments across a range of programs– investing in additional services to support the

specific needs of international students and build stronger integration between international and domestic students.

• Increase research funding from industry. As outlined in earlier sections of this plan, this will include:– making more effective use of Special Studies

Program (SSP) to encourage engagement with industry, government and the wider community

– ensuring that measures of successful external engagement are core criteria in academic recruitment, appraisal and promotion processes. This will include placing a greater importance on the ability to attract research income industry and international bodies as well as publications with an international co-author

– streamlining contract negotiation processes– creating additional key industry partnerships, some of

whom may have an on-campus presence in the future.

• Increase research funding from international sources. As outlined in earlier sections of this plan, this will include:– investing in developing a stronger presence in Latin

America, Canada, Europe, Japan, Indonesia, India and China

– making more effective use of the Special Studies Program (SSP) to encourage international engagement of the highest quality.

• Build philanthropic support through a dedicated campaign. This will include:– Attracting support around three themes: empowering

student success, transforming teaching and learning, and driving discovery and impact.

• Manage our resources through a capital asset plan and sustainable budgeting.

Diversifying our income streams and managing our resources to establish a sustainable financial base


6


Not If, When – the Campaign to Create Change launched in October 2017. This philanthropic initiative aims to change lives within the community and around the world by encouraging support for research, disadvantaged students and teaching leadership.

Campaign Co-chairs Professor Ian Frazer AC and Mrs Caroline Frazer addressed guests at the launch.

23

For more than a century, The University of Queensland (UQ) has maintained a global reputation for creating positive change by delivering knowledge leadership for a better world.

UQ consistently ranks among the world’s top universities. More than 52,000 current students, including the majority of Queensland’s highest academic achievers, and top interstate and overseas students, study across UQ’s three beautiful campuses in South East Queensland at St Lucia, Herston and Gatton. They include more than 16,400 postgraduate and 15,400 international students from 141 countries, who contribute to a diverse, supportive and inclusive campus community.

UQ has won more Australian Awards for University Teaching than any other university, and is committed to providing students with the best opportunities and practical experiences during their time at university, empowering them with transferable knowledge and skills that will prepare them to exceed expectations throughout their careers.

Our 250,000+ graduates are UQ’s greatest assets, and include more than 13,600 PhDs. Our successful alumni network spans 170 countries.

UQ’s six faculties, eight globally recognised research institutes and 100+ research centres attract an interdisciplinary community of more than 1500 scientists, social scientists and engineers who champion research excellence and continue UQ’s tradition of research leadership. This is reflected in UQ being awarded more Australian Research Council funding ($25.8 million) for fellowships and awards commencing in 2017 than any other Australian university – a strong indication of the commitment and quality of researchers.

UQ is one of only three Australian members of the global Universitas 21; a founding member of the Group of Eight (Go8) universities; a member of Universities Australia; and one of only two Australian charter members of the prestigious edX consortium, the world’s leading not-for-profit consortium of massive open online courses (MOOCs). We have seen more than 1.98 million learners sign up for UQ’s edX courses – which augurs well for our transformation of the core offerings for all of our on-campus students.

Over the 2016–2017 financial year, UQ employed more than 17,800 academic and professional staff and has a $1.8 billion annual operating budget.

CRICOS Provider Number 00025B

52,000+ STUDENTS

15,400+ INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

16,400+POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

13,600+PHD GRADUATES

17,800+STAFF

250,000+ALUMNI

$1.8 BILLION +OPERATING REVENUE

The University of Queensland

St Lucia Gatton Herston

strategic plan 2018–2021 - about.uq.edu.au · the university of queensland • strategic plan...

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